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This fictional farce features an orthopedic surgeon and his professional relationship with the law. The protagonist is modeled after one of literature’s most iconic characters, Rumpole of the Old Bailey, so readers familiar with his unique voice will recognize the pervading tone of the piece. The narrative rambles through various stories while interspersing information regarding poetry, art, politics, history, medicine, education, and judicial issues. It begins by exploring memories of the past, such as those from the character’s childhood and growing up in Scotland, his education, athletic prowess, life in Canada, travels while teaching, and groundbreaking research and development in orthopedics. It examines surgeries and patients, issues of malpractice, plaintiff scams, and medical scams by doctors and features some discussion of heroic patients.
Throughout the book, there is some significant maligning of people, places, and things, including rheumatologists, people with fibromyalgia, “lazy losers,” social workers, and occupational therapists (although the narrative admits that there are a few good ones). Other topics include the “Wuhan virus intermittent lockdown fiasco,” socialism, being “Woke,” “Climategate,” and other social issues.
While on the surface the story comes across as a series of disgruntled ramblings, the work is precise in the consistency of such ramblings, demonstrating the character’s “arcane knowledge.” At times educational, interesting, and humorous, the narrative engages one enough to keep reading. Its high-speed twists manage to hold one’s attention even as one waits for something with more substance and fewer turns. The work is informed by the author’s own career as an orthopedic surgeon, his development of joint replacements, and his research and teaching around the world. But mostly, it’s filled with opinions—lots and lots of opinions—which will be interesting or exasperating, depending on the reader’s perspective.